The present invention relates to a card connector for connecting a card such as a flash memory card to a printed circuit board, and specifically to such a card connector equipped with an ejector mechanism including a catch tab formed thereon for preventing the card from being inadvertently removed from the connector.
Known card connectors typically comprise an insulating housing having a plurality of terminals laterally arranged and mounted therein and adapted to mate with corresponding contacts on a memory card, and a card ejector mechanism for ejecting the card from the housing. The card ejector mechanism is composed of a rotary lever pivotally fixed to the housing and an ejection rod operatively connected to the rotary lever for turning the rotary lever and ejecting the card.
The rotary lever is pivotably movable relative to the housing and is mounted between the housing and an overlying shell cover. The ejection rod is movably mounted on one side of the housing, such that it moves back and forth in directions opposite to the directions in which the card is ejected and inserted into the housing. One end of the ejection rod is operatively connected to one end of the rotary lever. The rotary lever has a tab provided on the other end, and the tab of the rotary lever engages the front end of the card after it is fully inserted into the housing. With this arrangement, insertion of the card into the card connector causes the rotary lever to turn in one direction, thus causing the ejection rod to move in the (rearward) direction opposite the (forward) direction in which the card is inserted. Conversely, when the ejection rod is pushed inward, i.e. in the forward direction, the rotary lever turns in the opposite direction, thus causing the tab to eject the card from the housing.
When the card is inserted into the card cavity, the card is held within the cavity and prevented from being removed from the card cavity by forces generated by the coupling of the pin terminals of the connector with female contacts of the card. However, some card connectors are used in electronic devices such as car navigators or car radios, which may be subjected to constant vibration. In such circumstances, the connection between the card and the connector can be loosened or broken altogether, thus impairing the reliability between the card and its associated printed circuit board via the card connector. Therefore, in such cases, the card can fall out and be damaged or be much too easily (inadvertently) removed from the card connector.
An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector structure which can hold a card within the card connector when it is inserted in the card cavity of the card connector.
To attain this object, the card connector according to the present invention includes an ejection mechanism having a rotary lever and an ejection rod equipped with a catch tab and designed such that the ejection rod is angled toward the card cavity of the card connector when it moves rearward in response to insertion of the card into the card cavity, thereby allowing the tilted ejection rod to catch the card by the catch tab.
Specifically, the card connector for receiving a memory card comprises: a U-shaped insulating housing having a main body and two parallel longitudinal extensions connected to and extending from opposite ends of the main body and defining a card cavity therebetween, one of the longitudinal extensions including a support frame fixed to an outer side thereof; a plurality of terminals mounted in the main body and adapted to mate with corresponding contacts in the memory card; and a card ejector mechanism for ejecting the card from the card cavity, including a rotary lever pivotably mounted on the housing for pivotal movement relative thereto and an ejection rod for turning the rotary lever mounted along the one longitudinal extensions for back and forth movement within the support frame in directions opposite and parallel to the insertion and ejection directions of the card, wherein the card connector further comprises corresponding interengaging means including a guide slot (27) and corresponding guide projections (23, 24) between the ejection rod and the support frame such that as the ejection rod moves back and forth within the support frame, the ejection rod moves between an angled position and a parallel position, whereby in the angled position, the ejection rod prevents the inserted card from being inadvertently removed. The ejection rod includes an integral catch tab facing the card cavity, whereby the catch tab prevents the card from being removed when the ejection rod is in its angled position, i.e. tilted toward the card cavity, and whereby the catch tab releases the card when the ejection rod moves away from the card cavity.
The guide slot is composed of a straight leading section, an intermediate oblique section and a straight trailing section, and the support frame has two guide projections formed therein which move within the guide slot.
The ejection rod includes a joint formed at a front end connected to the rotary lever, and a knob formed at its rear end, wherein the catch tab extends from the knob and catches the rear edge of the card after the card is inserted in the card cavity and prevents the card from disengaging or being inadvertently removed from the card cavity.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be understood from the following description of a card connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.